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SHORTLEGCRICKETIssue 01 April 2015

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Issue 01/ April 2015/ £3.50

THE WORLD’S LATEST CRICKET MAGAZINE

WORLD CUP RESTRUCTURE?

BIG TALKING POINT

PLUS: CAMERA-KAZE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW YOUNG GUNS

THE EXPERTS GIVE THEIR OPINION

Chip and Finnpg4

New Era?pg11

The Youth Clubpg13

In this month’s edition...

Mark Wood Interviewpg8

pg5In Need of Irish Luck?

CONTENTS 04/15

SHORTLEGCRICKET

04: CAMERA-KAZELooking back at Steven Finn’s hat trick against Austrailia in the World Cup opener.

05: BIG TALKING POINT

Could the 2019 been restructured to allow the associates a chance to keep developing?

08: MARK WOODDurham’s bowler talks to Oli Osborn about touring South Africa and future goals.

11: COUNTY SEASONPREVIEW

Who will be fighting for the titles and who will be looking to avoid the wooden spoon?

13: YOUNG GUNSShortLeg Cricket takes a close look at the most promising youngsters in the county game in 2015.

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April 2015 / SLC / 3

There are not many better moments for a bowler than taking a

hat-trick at a World Cup, joining the list of famous names of ODI cricket in the process. It was surprising that the newest member to the exclusive club would come via an innings where the bat truly dominated ball.

Steven Finn had been one of the six England bowlers on the receiving end of some Aussie firepower at a sell-out MCG on the opening day of the tournament. Aaron Finch’s fantastic ton was backed up well by stand-in captain George Bailey scoring a half century, which created a platform for the “finishers” to put England to the sword. Glenn Maxwell showed just why his IPL price tag is so high with a breathtaking 66 from 40 before his wicket falling became a part of history rather than his own performance.

Australia were comfortably into the 300s when Finn came on to bowl the

final over and it seemed the game was well beyond England’s capabilities already. The task of facing a well set Maxwell and Brad Haddin would be a daunting prospect for any bowler, even more so with the new fielding restric-tions and flat Aussie wickets against him.

Two back of a length deliveries go for seven runs and a single off the third ball brings Haddin back on strike. The experienced wicketkeeper batsman attempts to punish a wide length ball for six over long on, but sees a cross-bat shot find the outside edge and sail towards the third man boundary. Stuart Broad raced forward to take the catch that ends a good cameo from Haddin and brings Mitchell Johnson to the crease.

The two batsmen crossed so Maxwell is on strike looking to cause more havoc from the final two balls. Finn bowls a full ball on leg stump that the Australian drives low in the air to the right of long off. Coming round is Joe Root and the young batsman takes a stunning catch after taking up a lot of ground to make it a chance in the first place. His reaction of throwing the ball back in temper shows just how much of a frustrating

innings it has been for the side. Up stepped Johnson to face to

hat-trick ball looking for one final blow before tearing the England batting line up away in the second innings. Another back of a length delivery and Johnson swats the last ball of the innings straight at James Anderson for an easy catch to make Steven Finn just the eighth bowler to take a hat-trick at a World Cup. The Middlesex man smiles as his team mates all rush over to celebrate his achievement, despite the mammoth score they require.

Only a superb knock of James Taylor prevents a total embarrassment defeat as the Notts batsman score 98 from 90 balls without losing his wicket. A 92-run partnership with Chris Woakes helps the side recover from 92-6 after Mitchell Marsh ran through the England top order. Anderson was ran out for the final wicket as England ended with 231 all out, 111 runs behind the Aussies.

But for Finn in years to come, it won’t be about the result or how many runs he conceded, it’ll be about the time when he joined the ODI bowling greats of Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga and Austrailia’s Brett Lee as a World Cup hat-trick taker.

FINNPOINTACCURACY

CAMERA-KAZEs A SNAPSHOT FROM THE MOMENT OF THE MONTH

In our latest edition of Camera-kaze, we take a look at England bowler Steven Finn’s hat trick against Austrailia in the World Cup.

4 / SLC / April 2015

ASSOCIATE NATION ARMY

It’s over the top and that is it; another famous day in Ireland’s cricketing history. It’s a comfortable victory and

it gets their World Cup campaign off to the best possible start.”

Michael Atherton summed up the mood perfectly after John Mooney’s top edge over wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin sealed another upset for Ireland as they chased down a score more than 300 for the third time at a World Cup. In terms of history and stature, this was a giant killing, but this was certainly not a fluke.

It was also the third World Cup in a row where Ireland picked up a famous scalp over a testing playing nation, having beaten Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2007 as well as chasing down 327 against England four years agothanks to a Kevin O’Brien century from just 50 balls. It is no surprise that the tightest of games so far at this World Cup (with the exception of New Zealand versus Australia) have seen the likes of Ireland, Scotland, the UAE and Afghanistan giving their all to create another underdog story. How many more of these Associate upsets will we see now the International Cricket Council have decided

BIG TALKING POINT

“While the likes of football and rugby league have

given the lower ranked sides a chance on the big stage,

cricket has looked to increase it’s financial gain.”

Afghanistan recorded their first World Cup win over Scotland.


One of the reasons why this World Cup has been considered one of the best yet is down to the performances of the associate nations. Oli Osborn looks at the structuring of the 2019 competition and how Ireland’s heroics should be rewarded.

BIG TALKING POINT

to reshuffle to World Cup structure, brushing the non-test playing nations to one side in the process?

The 2019 tournament in England and Wales will see the teams reduced from 14 to 10 sides, with fewer matches played on the same day. For the Associates, it would take Ireland or Afghanistan to beat Bangladesh or Zimbabwe in a one-day qualifying competition in the sub-continent.

This isn’t the first time the number of teams in the World Cup has been lowered either. The 2007 saw 16 teams take part and the decision to change the group staging was made after India and Pakistan, two countries attracting the highest TV audiences were eliminated from the first stage. A coincidence? I think not. This isn’t a way of making the World Cup shorter as the competition in four years will be three days longer with one less game, ensuring that there is just one game per day, something ideal for the viewers at home.

Yet again it seems the ICC have sold their souls to the TV companies who sit proudly on top of their vast sums of money while the importance of the sport’s development is forgotten about. While the likes of football and rugby league have given the lower rank sides a chance on the big stage, cricket has looked to increase its financial gain.

There has been uproar in the football world recently with the 2022 World Cup set to take place during the winter in Qatar, due to the extreme heat through the summer months. While many will disagree with the decision to

break away from the traditional summer tournament, this could work in FIFA’s favour in the long-term. The Middle East is one of the only parts of the world where football is struggling and giving them an opportunity to stage the sport’s biggest event will only increase it’s popularity as well as making more new facilities available to youngsters to help aid their development. Add to that the great wealth of the oil rich country and you have a great opportunity of further investment in the future. Instead of opening up the game to all and trying to spread cricket across all parts of the world, the ICC are restricting the game from teams that have worked hard to get into the position they are in. The rise of Afghanistan over the past ten years will have been all in vain, despite the obvious obstacles they have come up against in that time. A well drilled Scotland side Paul Collingwood has put together since taking charge will not get the opportunity to build on an encouraging tournament. So too the UAE, who showed good signs with the bat and have bowlers that caused problems with the ball. You only need to look at Ireland giant killing history to see why they would be missed.

Irish star Ed Joyce said before the World Cup took place that “cricket is the only sport with a World Cup that is contracting rather than expanding” and it is hard to disagree with the opening batsman. China, U.S.A, Eastern Asia, the Middle East and the majority of Europe all have international teams far down the second tier ladder. These are countries that, with the right backing, could move up the rankings very quickly, with the potential of reaching Test status in ten to twelve years time. A status Ireland needs to be given fairly quickly.

Kyle Coetzer celebrates becoming Scotland’s first century maker at a World Cup against Bangladesh.


ED JOYCE: “CRICKET IS THE ONLY SPORT WITH A WORLD CUP

THAT IS CONTRACTING RATHER THAN EXPANDING”

BIG TALKING POINT

For too long now, Test cricket has meandered along unaware that it is on a slow decline. While it is still considered by many the best format of the game with the way it challenges player’s ability and mental toughness to perform over five days, limited overs cricket is starting to catch up.

Outside of England, Australia and arguably South Africa, Test matches have poor attendances and do not receive the same support as T20 or 50-over games. You only need to watch England’s tour of the West Indies in April to see just how few home supporters with watch their side in Antigua, Grenada and Barbados; grounds that were home to one of the greatest international sides of all time during the 1970s. The only reason it has managed to keep its head above water is through sponsorship and TV deals, which proves there is still plenty of support for the longest format of the sport. A general shake up of Test cricket in the long-term could do wonders both to the way the game is played and it’s saleable for marketing. Introducing Ireland would be a great way to get the ball rolling.

In 2012, Cricket Ireland revealed their strategy of reaching Test status by 2020. This included establishing a first-class cricket structure, increasing the number of participants of the game to 50,000 and reaching the top eight in the ODI rankings. These plans not only shows great ambition from the Irish, it also shows how well organised they are and proves how structured things are away from the field. There is very much a low risk for issues away from cricket if you compare them to the lowest ranked Test side Zimbabwe. Their victory over the Zimbabwean’s during the group stage of this World Cup

suggests Ireland have the better of their African counterparts in cricketing terms too.

The way the side have conducted themselves in the World Cup has been excellent viewing. Their fire power with the bat and tenacity in the field has won themselves many plaudits over the past few weeks, typically as they seem to thrive under pressure on the big stage. When you consider Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin have swapped their allegiances from the Emerald Isle to chase dreams of playing Test cricket, it makes Ireland’s achievements in a short matter of time even more remarkable. Add to those two Ed Joyce and Will Porterfield at the top of the order, the O’Brien brothers in the middle order, Gary Wilson with the gloves and George Dockrell and Tim Murtagh and you’re left with a side that could do well at Test level. It’s scary to think just how good the side would be at the moment had those two stayed.

Now the decision is left with the ICC to decide how worthy Ireland are at becoming a Test playing nation. The question is being asked louder with more supporters on board the Irish bandwagon, including some famous names in the cricketing world. Giving Ireland Test Status now would only help the side and, judging by their ODI performances, they would only flourish in the game. Sri Lanka’s rise since playing in their first Test match 33 years ago is something they could look to replicate.

Including Ireland at the first opportunity would be a huge positive news story for the sport and has the potential to add something different to the five day format. They may struggle at the start, as any team would in any sport, but given the right backing from the top will only give them the confidence to push forward.

While the ICC want to ensure Ireland become a full playing nation in the best possible state, they need Ireland in Test cricket as much as the Irish need Test status.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY:Mahela Jayawardene: “I think it’s important that we nurture and we look after these associate members. They are playing some good cricket - give them the opportunity they deserve.”

Michael Holding: “If they (Ireland) continue to linger around the lower regions of world cricket they’ll continue to lose good players.”

Sachin Tendulkar: “When you want the game to globalise, we need to encourage more and more teams to participate, and their stand-ard of playing is only going to rise when they start playing against the top sides.”

Jason Gillespie: “Ireland would be a really good team to welcome into Test cricket and the ICC should be making it a priority.”



The North East of England seems to have a knack of producing talented England stars in recent times.

Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Graham Onions as well as Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick more recently are just a few examples of players that have graced the international game having excelled at Chester-le-Street, or the Emirates as it is currently known.

The latest on the conveyor belt is bowling allrounder Mark Wood, and this England Lion is looking to become King of the County Jungle.

At a time when most county cricketers have had their feet up waiting for pre-season to arrive, the 25-year-old has been staking his claim to be given full international recognition.

During a tour of South Africa with the England Lions, Wood was the pick of the bowlers as the side came away with victory in five game one-day series and hard-fought stalemate in a two match Test series.

This was the result of a hard work as part of England’s Performance Programme fast bowling camp in Potchefstroom where the bowler lined up with the very best seam bowlers in the county game. The program also

WOOD’S STOCK RISINGFrom injury woes to England Lions highs,

Mark Wood speaks exclusively to ShortLeg Cricket about what could be a very exciting summer for the 25-year-old Durham bowler.

“This year is a big season for me; if I keep fit then I’m

confident in my ability to perform well for the team.”

FACTFILEAGE: 25

ROLE: RFM/RHB

FC: 2374 wickets at 26.16

LA:1821 wickets at 26.76


included James Anderson and Stuart Broad before they jetted off to the World Cup.

It was a winter that the has given the seamer plenty of confidence heading into what could be a very exciting summer, highlighting moments that could help in the future: “I absolutely loved the time in South Africa. We did running drills with former Olympic gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu and that was great to see how she trained and take useful advice away to help me improve my own running technique. It may only give me an extra one percent, but it all adds up in the end.

“We also did bowling drills in preparation of the Lions’ tour that I was thankfully picked for. To win in South Africa with any team is a fantastic achievement.

“The team they put out was their second best side so for us to go there and draw a Test series on good wickets before winning the one-day series was a proud moment. We started poorly in both Test matches, but ended as the stronger side. Had it been five-day matches rather than four we could have come away with a series win.”

Other than picking up the extra wickets his performances deserved, things couldn’t have gone much better for the man born in Ashington, especially after a heart breaking end to his previous experience with the Lions.

Of the squad that toured Sri Lanka in early 2014, nine have since or already made their England Test debuts, but none of these had the impact that Wood had on proceedings in the opening match.

After England posted a low first innings total of 201

batting first, Wood ran ragged in Sri Lanka A’s reply, taking 5-32 from 13 overs, a fine performance by anyone’s standards. This game was to be the Durham bowler’s last contribution as a side injury struck at the worst possible time, ruling him out for the remainder of

the tour. While the likes of captain Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and

James Taylor have since gone on to become important members of the World Cup squad this year, Wood has been left ruing the cruellest part of sport.

Many sport stars would lose confidence or react negatively to injures, but Wood has used it as a motivational tool over the winter and for future success: “The disappointment of Sri Lanka, being sent home so early on after taking five wickets in the first match, was one of the worst moments I’ve had in cricket.

“I’ve been labelled as someone who gets injured a lot, but this time I’ve had no problems. I contributed for the team and didn’t have any troubles with fitness throughout. The winter has been good and it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

“When you rub shoulders with the likes of Liam Plunkett, Boyd Rankin as well as training with Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad before Christmas it gives you an indication of where you are as a player. I felt I did well amongst those guys and that gives me confidence and it has made me feel I can compete at the top level.

“Hopefully I’ve done myself no harm for my future in English cricket and it’s set to be a huge summer coming up.”

The side injury continued to hamper the 25-year-old’s progress throughout the 2014 campaign with Durham. The bowler took 18 wickets in 7 County Championship matches, but form was something he found difficult to come by: “I feel I underperformed last year, massively.

“Because of my injury record during last season, there were games where I returned not fully fit or ready to play at that level. The times when I did manage to play back-to-back I either took no wickets or four or five in an innings.

“Like I showed this winter, if I can play a number of matches in a row and regain my rhythm then I believe I’ll do well. Unfortunately there were times last season when I wasn’t at my best and I suffered because of that by the injury reoccurring. This year is a big season for me; if I keep fit then I’m confident in my ability to perform well for the team.”

This also meant Wood was unable to take part in any of

MARK WOOD INTERVIEW

“The disappointment of Sri Lanka... was one of the worst moments I’ve had in

cricket.”

From injury woes to England Lions highs, Mark Wood speaks exclusively to ShortLeg Cricket about what could be a very exciting summer for the 25-year-old Durham bowler.

In seven County Championship matches last season Wood picked up 18 wickets.

FACTFILEAGE: 25

ROLE: RFM/RHB

FC: 2374 wickets at 26.16

LA:1821 wickets at 26.76

10 / SLC / April 2015

Durham’s successful Royal London One-Day Cup campaign where they defeated Warwickshire in the final at Lords.

It may have been frustrating not being a part of the victory, Wood is keen to look forward rather than focus on things that can’t be changed: “I always want my friends to do well and it was fantastic to see the lads lift the trophy even though I couldn’t play.

“It does spur me on to think ‘I’ve had a taste of winning the County Championship in 2013 and this year I want to be the go-to guy to lead us to winning again.’”

Durham were unable to defend their County Championship title last season, finishing fifth following a battle against relegation for much of the campaign. Three wins in their final four matches was enough to see the side steer clear of the bottom two.

The four-day format performances will be something the club will be looking to eradicate during this season, according to Wood: “We found ourselves struggling at times and then managed to save it right at the end.

“There were problems with injuries and England call-ups, but the main thing is we didn’t play well enough. Division One is a great standard and if we can get some momentum early in the season, then I don’t see why we can’t be up there again.”

One big blow for the side will be the retirement of off-spinner Gareth Breese after an 11-year spell with the county. Whilst Wood feels losing the West Indian will be a big blow, the bowler believes it could give others a chance to secure their place in the line-up:

M W BA BM 5W SRJames Anderson 174 664 27 7/43 32 53Tim Bresnan 140 398 31 8/141 6 61Stuart Broad 131 478 28 11/121 22 53Steven Finn 104 385 29 15/106 11 49Chris Jordan 69 201 32 9/58 7 54Graham Onions 126 459 26 10/115 21 46Liam Plunkett 138 421 31 11/119 11 51Boyd Rankin 75 248 27 8/115 6 45Ben Stokes 72 162 28 10/121 3 46Chris Woakes 102 346 56 11/97 15 50Mark Wood 23 74 26 6/47 5 46

MARK WOOD INTERVIEW

STAT NAV: HOW DO THE BOWLERS COMPARE?

Key: M=Matches, W= Wickets, BA= Bowling Average, BM= Best Match Figures, 5W= Five Wicket Hauls, SR= Strike Rate

First-class bowling statistics of the most recent England Test fast bowlers. Stats correct as of March18, 2015.

“Breesy (Gareth Breese) has been important in the dressing room and his bowling and batting at the death has been something we’ve relied on in the past to see us through games.

“There is plenty of experience in other areas though and it’ll give younger players a chance to come through. Ryan Pringle is expected to take his place and is a more than capable bowler at this level.”

Fewer players have more experience than captain Paul Collingwood, who coached Scotland at the World Cup. It’s no surprise to the bowler that the 38-year-old would go into coaching and expects his skipper to be a big success in years to come.

“You could always tell Colly (Paul Collingwood) was going to go down that route. He has been a great leader for many years at Durham and the amount of knowledge he has is valuable to any cricketer.

“He speaks well, can motivate people and leads by example so working with Scotland will have helped gain more experience in that sort of role. One day it would be amazing to see him working with Durham or potentially England.”

If that hypothesis comes to fruition it would be a proud day in the North East.

County cricket’s youngest first-class side producing three or potentially more of England’s best team in Ben Stokes, Scott Borthwick and Mark Wood as well as the leader of the pack, Paul Collingwood.

“Breesey has been important in the dressing room and his bowling

and batting at the death has been something we’ve relied on.”

April 2015 / SLC / 11

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Title Contenders What as season it was for Yorkshire in 2014. The county lost

just once on their way to being crowned Division One champions and show no signs of that changing this season. With a batting line up some internationals sides would be envious of and a captain’s dream of a bowling attack, more silverware is on the horizon at Headingly. Their quality over-seas signings will help assure the side claim a successive title.

One strength for Warwickshire is that they have pretty much kept the same side together for the last two or three years. This has ensured the side have kept up the same high standards in all three formats. The rise of Sam Hain last campaign was a huge boost to an already strong squad and I’m sure the youngster will continue in his early career success.

Nottinghamshire will be disappointed with how they fell short at the end of 2014. Despite contending for the title throughout most of the campaign, Notts finished fourth after losing the final three games. The side have strengthened with the additions of Greg Smith, Zimbabwe captain Brendon Taylor, who had a fine World Cup, as well as promising allrounder Will Gidman. Oversea swing bowlers Vernon Philander and Ben Hilfenhaus will be a key threat with the ball.

Mid-table Hopefuls

There are not many leagues in sport where a side can flirt with relegation for most of the season and then contend for a top three positions in the final few matches. Durham’s attempt to defend their title last season was poor, but they will be looking to be right in the mix this time. The seam attack of Graham Onions, Mark Wood and John Hastings will be vital in favourable home conditions.

Sussex have always been in and amongst the top sides in Division One in recent years. It’s easy to see why with one of the league’s top run scorers Ed Joyce and the highest wicket taker Steve Magoffin in their side. Losing Jon Lewis through retirement and possibly Chris Jordan for most of the year to England will be a big blow to the club’s bowling department, but having Matt Prior for the full summer could see the side push on to potential success.

There tends to be a surprise package each season and I’m tipping Hampshire to be just that in Division One. Under Dale Benkenstein the side cruised to promotion and claimed the Division Two title last year. Only Nottinghamshire picked up as many batting points as Hampshire last season so they will be looking towards James Vince, Will Smith and captain Jimmy Adams for more runs this time.

Relegation Battlers

Losing Chris Rogers will be a disappointment for Middlesex, but Gus Fraser has acted quickly to sign Australian Adam Voges and appointed him as captain. Last season was a really side for the county and they managed to hold off Lancashire on the final day to stay up. The club will be hoping new signings Nick Compton and James Franklin can make an instant impact as it could be another season fighting at the bottom of the table.

One factor that has always played a factor in Somerset’s County Championship performances is their home ground, Taunton. The wicket is a batting paradise which means when the sun is shining both teams will score big first innings scores and it’ll end as a draw. This played a factor last season as they drew three more games than anyone else in the league. It may well be a difficult year in the four-day format for Matthew Maynard as the new director of cricket.

Worcestershire will be hoping Saeed Ajmal can weave his magic again for the side once he returns for at least the second half of the season. The spinner took 63 wickets in just 9 matches in 2014 to help the side win promotion back to the top tier. Moeen Ali has become a regular in the England side so the allrounder looks set to miss the majority of the campaign. It looks set to be a tough year for Worcestershire and they may lack a seam bowler that could well keep them up.

Oli Osborn looks at who will be eyeing titles and promotion as well as the teams that may struggle in the 116th season of the competition.

Division One

12 / SLC / April 2015

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Division Two

Title Challenges

A T20 Finals Day appearance was the only positive to come out of 2014 for Surrey. In the County Championship finished way off the pace and ended in fifth place. The signing of Kumar Sangakkara is a real coup, particularly with how well the Sri Lankan has performed at the World Cup, and will add to a strong side on paper. Only Hampshire earned more batting points than Surrey last year so Graham Ford will be looking for more from the bowling attack this time around.

Many thought when England appointed Peter Moores as coach that the wrong man had been chosen. What could be England’s lose could be Lancashire’s gain as Ashley Giles takes charge for the first time. The county will be hoping to bounce straight back up to the top tier following relegation on the final day in 2014. New signings Alviro Petersen and Peter Siddle will give the side experience and add to an already strong side for that level.

The two sides already mentioned could be too strong for anyone else in the league to compete with, I feel, but Derbyshire would be expected to be the team that runs them the closest. Mark Footitt had a fantastic season with the ball last year and he’ll be hoping for more of the same in 2015. The additions of Martin Guptil and Tillakaratne Dilshan at different part of the season should give the side an outside chance of promotion.

Mid-table Surprise?

There has been plenty of change at Northants over the close season and they will be hoping that the gamble pays off. Gone have the more experienced members players Leicestershire’s Josh Cobb and a number of academy graduates have come in. There are several good pros-pects coming through at Northamptonshire at the moment and a couple of standout performers could give the side an outside push for promotion.

Unfortunately for Essex supporters the winter was more about who was leaving Chelmsford rather than who was coming in. The departures of highly rated youngsters Tymal Mills and Ben Foakes to Sussex and Surrey respectively as well as the retirement of spin-ner Tim Phillips will be a big blow for their chances of chasing promotion. Veterans James Foster, Graham Napier and Ryan ten Doschate will have to be at their best to ensure Essex don’t slide down the table.

Much of Kent’s season will rely on the potential England ODI call-ups of Sam Billings and Adam Riley. The pair were excellent throughout 2014 and may be selected by Peter Moores if they are able to maintain those high standards this time around. Matt Coles and Joe Denly have re-joined the club and should provide enough quality for Kent to finish mid-table in Division Two.

Wooden Spoon

Glamorgan’s experienced side will be hoping to improve on last season’s performance and look towards being Division Two’s surprise package this season. Jacques Rudolph has

been made captain while Colin Ingram, Craig Meschede and James Kettleborough have joined the club. If they find replacements for Jim Allenby and Murray Goodwin they may finish higher than most would expect.

Losing the Gidman brothers will be a big blow for Gloucestershire this season. The two con-tributed massively to the side last season and their replacements will have big shoes to fill. Mi-chael Klinger has resigned as the oversea player and the batsman will be looking to keep up the form he showed in the Australian Big Bash this

winter. Progression in the T20 Blast and Royal London One-Day Cup will be where Gloucestershire will be focusing.

2014 was simply a year to forget for Leicestershire and 2015 could end up being more of the same. The club failed to win a match in the County Championship and have now lost some key players since. New coach Andrew McDonald and captain Mark Cosgrove will be hoping to bring through some young players and pick up some positive results, but there is little sign to suggest anything more than that.

ShortLeg Cricket’s Final Standings1st Yorkshire CCC (C)2nd Warwickshire CCC3rd Nottinghamshire CCC4th Durham CCC5th Sussex CCC6th Hampshire CCC7th Middlesex CCC8th Somerset CCC (R)9th Worcestershire CCC (R)

1st Surrey CCC (C)2nd Lancashire CCC (P)3rd Derbyshire CCC4th Northamptonshire CCC5th Essex CCC6th Kent CCC7th Glamorgan CCC8th Gloucestershire CCC9th Leicestershire CCC

YOUNG GUNS

Which county youngsters will be firing on all cylinders and who will be shooting blanks?

Lancashire’s Haseeb Hameed may be the youngest on our list, but for what he lacks in age, the 18-year-old certainly makes up for in talent. The opener from Bolton has made his name through his excellent record for England U19s. Two scores of 97 were followed by a superb century at Trent Bridge last summer against a touring South Africa U19s side.

While most modern batsmen look to hit the ball hard with big bats, Hameed has a more measured approach where he makes it difficult for bowlers to take wickets. Many who have watched him claim there are few faults in his technique and has a maturity about his game way beyond his years.

The club’s relegation to Division Two will mean young players like Hameed will get opportunities this season. The youngster may have to wait for first team chances due to his school commitments early in the year, but when they do come along he will be expected to shine.

At just 19 years of age, Sam is already becoming Warwickshire’s “Hain man” in the County Championship. With four first-class centuries to his name already, Hain has picked up the knack of accumulating runs at a very early age. In just his fifth innings, the batsman broke Ian Bell’s record as the youngster man to score a ton for the county. 57 days after his 19th birthday, Hain became the county’s

youngest double-centurion in an innings victory over Northants. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Queensland, Australia, Hain has represented

the Aussie’s U19 at 16. His raise to the first team has given Dougie Brown plenty of headaches over team selection as the 19-year-old’s rapid progress has seen him move above senior names in the pecking order.

Hain has already suggested his allegiances may be slightly in favour of playing for England and another good season or two could see the batsman not too far away from a call-up.

Haseeb Hameed- Lancashire CCC

Sam Hain- Warkwickshire CCC

England assistant coach Paul Farbrace once referred to Rhodes as “an outstanding allrounder” and “a very talented cricketer” while working with Yorkshire’s second XI. The current England U19s skipper is the leading light of a talented crop of young players coming through the White Rose County at the moment.

After making his first team debut in 2013, the allrounder made nine appearances be-fore guiding England to third place in the 2014 U19s World Cup in the UAE. In that

tournament Rhodes took eight wickets in six matches as well as scoring an unbeaten 76 in the semi-final against Pakistan. The 19-year-old produce good performances in England’s series win over South Africa during August too, contributing with bat and ball.

With the dominance of Yorkshire during the 2014 season, it may be difficult for Rhodes to make it into the four-day side, but the seam bowler and left-hand bat will be hoping to take advantage of one-day and T20 Blast opportunities that come his way.

Will Rhodes- Yorkshire CCC

April 2015 / SLC / 13

Young Gun Rating: 7/10



To say 2014 was a poor year for Northants in the County Championship is a little bit of an understatement. 12 defeats came in 16 matches, eight of those being by an innings. One positive that came out of it was the loan signing of Adam Rossington from Middlesex. The wicketkeeper batsman scored 440 at 44 in his six matches, including an impressive hundred against Nottinghamshire. It shouldn’t be forgotten that he has a good safe pair of hands behind the stumps too, taking 68 dismissals in all formats.

The good form resulted in a permanent deal to Wantage Road where the 21-year-old signed a two-year deal with the county. When he departed Middlesex, director of cricket Angus Fraser described Rossington as “an extremely talented young cricketer.” The issue with the London-based County was that he was unable to play ahead of Josh Simpson and produce on a regular basis. In pre-season of 2013, the wicketkeeper scored a 57-ball century against Cambridge MCCU.

There has been a lot of change at Northants since the end of last season with many senior players moving on. This will give the younger players, the chance to play games and stamp their mark in a first team environment. Rossington could well be the leader

Adam Rossington- Northamptonshire CCC

When it comes to debuts, Peter Chase couldn’t have wished for a better start to the County Championship last season. With Nottinghamshire chasing (pardon the pun) 375 for victory in the fourth innings, the 21-year-old took five of the final seven wickets to seal a win by 54 runs for Durham. The bowler finished the season with an average of just under 16 from his three matches.

The Irishman hails from Dublin and impressed the Ireland selectors enough to travel to the World Cup this year. Albeit not spectacular in the Irish cricket leagues, the bowler standing at 6ft 3in was signed up by Durham at the start of the 2014 season before representing the second XI six times and then the first team at the end of the campaign.

Team mate Ben Stokes has said in the past he is a “very exciting player to watch and has done everything asked of him and more. Certainly one to watch out for in the future.” If he continues to develop and gain an extra yard of space, Chase will be an exciting prospect for both county and country.

Peter Chase- Durham CCC

Since Graham Swann retired from cricket during the 2013/14 Ashes series, England have been in search of a new spin bowler to take the reins. Moeen Ali has done a good job so far in Test cricket, but is it worth blocking the route of a bright prospect like Adam Riley for a part-time bowler?

After taking 60 wickets in all formats last season, it is easy to see why so many want the 22-year-old to be given a chance at international level, particularly with how similar his style is to Swann’s. The off-spinner has a traditional style, relying on flight and slight changes of pace the deceive the batsman, something difficult to execute with hard hitting modern batsmen, but Swann proved there is still a place for it.

Since making his debut in 2011, Riley has gone from strength to strength in the Kent side. The bowler has managed to take the place of England limited overs spinner James Tredwell in the County Championship and only international spinners Jeetan Patel and Saeed Ajmal took more wickets in the four-day format. Riley looks the real deal and could well be given a chance at international level with a good start to the 2015 season.

Adam Riley- Kent CCC

YOUNG GUNS

14 / SLC / April 2015



Young Gun Rating: 9.5/10

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